White as Snow
by MidnightEden234
Summary: All creatures fear death, the Soul King is no exception. The length he goes to prevent Ichigo from reaching him in turn creates the most powerful monster. Ichigo Kurosaki, having never met Rukia Kuchiki, is in turn devoured by a Hollow. Gradually his soul fights off the Hollow's, and he later awakens in Hueco Mundo, no longer human nor Soul Reaper, but a Hollow. / Gradual HichiIchi
1. Prologue

He was so absolutely and positively bored. He could only watch himself die so many times before it got boring, and the fear of losing his life no longer pecked at his brain. He wanted to do something, but naturally in his state there was no way of doing anything.

Other than sitting here and watching the future over and over again.

He was the Soul King, of course, an infinite being that would somehow be stabbed by a ludicrous King and sliced in half by an immature boy.

What a horrible way for his life to end.

And then a thought occurred: what if he were to change the future? Perhaps his final hours would not be so boring, so long as he could resist the temptation to view his new future for the next two years. If he could last this long without any arms or legs, then most certainly he could do that!

Then it was set. The young orange haired boy must never become a Shinigami, and then the Soul King would never die, but how to prevent the Quincy King from killing him? Perhaps, somehow, the Quincy would become distracted by Aizen, if there was no boy to threaten Aizen's plan for the Soul Society...

This was interesting, and the Soul King decided that if it interested him this much then he simply _had_ to do it! It was May in the World of the Living, not much time before the young orange haired boy and his female companion with the jet black hair were supposed to meet.

Perhaps the Soul King could make the Shinigami simply decide not to send her to the World of the Living until after May had ended? There'd be plenty of time to sort out the Hollows after that, as well as allow a particular boy to be devoured.

* * *

 **Well, does it sound intriguing?**


	2. Chapter 1: Devoured

Ichigo Kurosaki was not having a good day, at all. It had started this morning when he felt like something was following him. Every instinct in his body was screaming for him to run, but Ichigo Kurosaki never showed fear, especially while in public.

He did manage to receive a scrape for his stubbornness after he was knocked over. He heard the story on TV later that day. It turned out people thought it was some sort of explosion, but there wasn't any bomb residue to be found. Ichigo shrugged it off as just another strange thing that happened to him and he went upstairs.

There he lay for roughly twenty minutes, simply staring at his ceiling. He had some homework to do and a half read manga he could get into, but he didn't feel like doing either of those. Ichigo eventually decided just to fall asleep.

That is, until all his nerves were suddenly on alert. Ichigo shot out of bed, his heart pounding in his chest and his skin covered in a thick layer of goosebumps. He went to the bathroom and splashed water across his face, trying to ease the sudden nausea.

"Run!"

Ichigo snapped his head up to look in the mirror. He was positive that for a moment his face had become bone white, but it had faded now. The voice was gone too, but he was also positive that it had come from the mirror.

For as long as he could remember, Ichigo had been able to see ghosts. Maybe one was just messing with him now? He had told off a few of them earlier today for bugging him in public. He usually dealt with them on the weekends or some evenings, but never on his way to school or at school for that matter.

Still, something about this feeling was different. Yes, Ichigo recognized it as supernatural, but it was coming from within his own mind as opposed to actually physically surrounding him.

After Ichigo shut off the tap, when he looked back up to the mirror, he nearly screamed. The bone-like mask had returned, this time behind him. Before he had the chance to turn around, a hand reached out and grasped around his waist.

The next thing Ichigo knew, his body was out in the night's cold air and he'd been thrown roughly down against the pavement. His whole body hurt, more than he thought it should have, and when he tried lifting himself off the pavement he noticed something on his chest.

A chain.

He recalled that this was how he distinguished the living from the dead. All the ghosts around him had a chain on their chests. "Am I… dead?" His voice was hoarse and quiet. One thing he knew for sure was that he was in a lot of pain.

"Yes, little soul… I've removed you from your body, and now you're mine!" Ichigo could feel it's breath on the back of his neck. He wanted to scamper away, but the monster had stepped onto his chain. He cried in pain as he was brought to his knees, but he wasn't giving up without a fight. Ichigo tugged as hard as he could until the chain broke, then Ichigo ran.

"You can't escape me, boy. You're a hundred years too young!"

Ichigo had almost made it down the block when the masked figure appeared in front of him. He skidded to a stop, "What are you!?"

"I suppose it's fair that I grant your final request. I am a Hollow, the demon of this world… and you are my prey. Your soul is powerful enough to end this eternal suffering. I _must_ devour it!"

Ichigo's eyes widened, but he was far too slow. The Hollow leapt onto him and he cried in agony as the Hollow tore him apart like picking chicken off a bone. Ichigo didn't shut his eyes until he was positive there was no way out of this.

When he opened his eyes he was a dully glowing figure floating in a sea of black. Around him were other souls, each soul glowing less than the next.

"Where am I?" Ichigo's voice echoed throughout the empty pit.

"Within the beast," an older man replied. "Do not waste your energy on speaking, youngling. You'll soon realise that without energy you'll lose yourself in here."

Ichigo gulped, and before he could reply there was a scream. Ichigo and one or two others, those who glowed the brightest, turned to see a woman with her face screwed up in pain. She arched backwards almost painfully, her mouth open in a shriek and her eyes wide with terror. Then her body shrivelled up and she vanished into the darkness.

"Another one lost…" the older man murmured. "As you can see, her power had been completely drained and her soul became a part of this… Hollow. Look around you, boy. Those who glow dully are next to vanish. Soon everyone in here will become a part of that creature, and will lose their individuality."

Ichigo sighed and shut his eyes, hoping he'd soon wake up from this nightmare. A week had him realise this wasn't a dream, and a month had him hoping that the next person who joined this hell wouldn't be a face he recognized.


	3. Chapter 2: Reborn

**Allow me to make a quick note… I actually wrote this chapter before I started watching One Piece, so this OC Sanji was a complete coincidence! xD**

* * *

"How long have you been here?" Ichigo questioned Sanji, whom he'd met not too long ago once he realised not all souls within the Hollow shared the same philosophy as the ready-to-die old man. There were some willing to talk to pass the time, even some crazy enough to hope for escape.

"A year by now, at least…" Sanji had long brown hair and green eyes. His soul was dim and transparent, which made those colours harder to make out. Ichigo on the other hand was glowing brightly, his orange hair visible for miles in the darkness. "I lost track of time."

"I understand. I know I've been in here for at least two months…" A frown crossed Ichigo's lips. His hands dropped to his sides, his memories making him forget the game he and Sanji were playing. They'd invented a game using only their fingers, since the Hollow wasn't about to devour any board games.

Upon noticing his friend's upturned lips, Sanji inquired, "What's the matter?"

Ichigo bit his lower lip, the flesh almost torn raw with the harsh grinding force of his teeth. It was a minute before Ichigo could gather his words and reply, "My mother died when I was young… it was my fault. The anniversary of her death would've been just a few days after I died. My family must be devastated. I wish I could see them again... I wish I could speak to them."

Sanji nodded in understanding, he too having left a family behind, "That… well, sounds like something good to keep close to your heart. And… yanno, I think I know someone who might be able to help."

Sanji's words sparked hope in Ichigo's eyes, something that didn't exist in the abyss of the Hollow's stomach. "Who?"

"Her name is Kaleen-"

"Don't tell me you actually believe her crap, Sanji!" A middle aged man muttered, his name was Kajin. "Kaleen is a coot, a crazy mad woman! She's been here the longest, most of her mind's gone… and she spews nonsense about death gods and 'Zanpakuto'."

Ichigo ignored the elderly man's outburst. He grinned at Sanji, resembling a child in a pet store. "I don't care what anyone else says. If she can help me get out of here, then please show me the way!"

Sanji took Ichigo by the hand and dragged him away from their spot. After they left, several other spirits closed in on the gap, attempting to collect any scraps of power Ichigo or Sanji had left behind. The more you move in this world, the quicker your soul tends to fade away. Sometimes particles are left behind, and those who are desperate to live will devour them, much like a Hollow.

Sanji pulled Ichigo away from the cannibalistic souls and into a wide open part of the never ending darkness. Ichigo spotted a woman kneeling on the ground, or so it seemed like there was ground beneath her. When Ichigo approached he only floated, much like everyone else within the Hollow. Kaleen was a young woman with beautiful hip-length red hair, a sword strapped around her waist by a purple sash, strange black robes on her frame and no chain hanging from her chest.

"So," her voice was strict and deep, yet defeat lingered within her tone, "What can I do for you two boys? Come to play games with me? Or make fun of me?"

Sanji shook his head, "He needs your help, Kaleen. He wants to go home."

She snorted like a depressed drunk, "Well, I can't help you with that…" Kaleen stepped closer to Ichigo, gazing into his eyes. "You are bright, though… even more so than me. That's good, it means your soul is strong. Kid, you have the best chance of getting out of here than any of us do, but it's going to take a whole lot of training." Kaleen removed her sword from its sheath.

Ichigo gulped and raised his hands defensively.

Kaleen chuckled and pointed her blade at his neck in a speed that was too quick for him to register. "Listen, kid. The only way we can take out this monster is from the inside, because help ain't coming from the Soul Society. Right now… can you sense that foul spiritual pressure?"

Ichigo, despite how crazy she sounded, found himself trusting this woman. He could sense something wrong with the air, and not just inside the Hollow but outside of it too. Ichigo nodded and Sanji gave a small smirk.

"Good, good…" Kaleen sheathed her sword, "that's because we're in the Hollow's domain, called Hueco Mundo. No Shinigami would dare step foot here without reason and permission from their superiors. That means we're on our own." She sat down on the ground with her legs crossed. Kaleen gestured for Ichigo to do the same. "Now, our first state of business is to get you a Zanpakuto."

* * *

Hueco Mundo is an awful place to be in general. It's an infinite grey desert with no colour and no sunlight. It's freezing, but unless you're alive you don't notice the cold. The sky is forever frozen in night, with no stars and a moon with an unreliable astrology pattern. In other words, unless you're an instinct-based being, you'll be lost forever here. Hueco Mundo is an even worse place to be when you're hungry, but it was the only place safe from being hunted by Shinigami. This Hollow had been stuffed by the orange haired boy and had returned home to sleep. As soon as its feet pressed into the colourless sands it could sense other Hollows, and drool rolled down the Hollow's bone lips.

It soon realised that all it could do to satisfy its hunger was to devour other souls, no matter what they were. The Hollow stalked around a stone, opening its jaws in a ravenous fashion. The other Hollow didn't see it coming until it was far too late. The Hollow crunched on the other's shoulder, filling itself with the flesh of the other Hollow.

This way of feeding went on for a month.

It snuck around the desert sands with a practiced ease, devouring anything in sight. It wasn't long until it didn't care who it was anymore, just that it needed to feed.

And that was when it found ten other Hollows just like itself. It bit into a Hollow while another Hollow bit into it. Eventually all the Hollows dispersed into Spiritual Energy and fused together, becoming a new being entirely: a Menos Grande. This Menos wandered aimlessly around the desert, gathering others of its kind into a pack.

Each Menos of this new pack looked entirely the same: pointed nose on a white mask, two large black eyes, a mouth, a long sleek body with legs and no arms. Until one day, a single Menos' mask was changed. It grew sharp teeth and blood red streaks.

* * *

Ichigo panted as yet another day of training came to an end. His soul glowed magnificently, unlike the other ten souls that remained. Kaleen was like the others. Her soul was withering away, bit by bit, at an even faster rate than before.

It had all started only a month ago, when the Hollow they were within started devouring other Hollows. Ichigo and Kaleen fought them off, and every time they defeated a Hollow it would fade and become a part of the darkness. Hollows that devoured other souls did the same thing. Eventually only those that trusted Ichigo and Kaleen, such as Sanji, survived. Then even they vanished. Kaleen explained that this rapid change in fading was because the Hollow outside was getting stronger and it demanded more of their reiatsu.

Another week later and the feedings had stopped. Only Ichigo and Kaleen were left, but that was about to change. Kaleen began disintegrating.

"Kaleen, don't leave me!" Ichigo rushed forward and caught her as she fell.

"I'm alright, Ichigo. This is it for me…" She smiled, not a hint of fear on her face. "You're the only one left, and if you can beat this darkness then you can take control of the Hollow… You can see your family again."

Tears came to Ichigo's eyes. "You knew this from the start, didn't you? You knew you would have to die to let me live again…"

She chuckled and nodded. "Ichigo, if you take control then everyone in here becomes a part of you. We won't suffer anymore because we know we're helping such a beautiful person…" Kaleen squeezed his hand. "Say hello to your family for me… and don't you dare ever forget who you are."

Ichigo nodded and watched helplessly as Kaleen vanished, though instead of joining the darkness her soul faded into Ichigo's.

* * *

The Menos with the odd mask began to shake and writhe. It grew arms and hands with claws. It sunk sharp fangs deep into the other Menos, which were either oblivious or helpless to stop it. After it devoured all of the Menos pack, it glowed a soft blue and its form shrunk into a humanoid shape.


	4. Chapter 3: New Home

**Hello everyone! If you have a moment, I'd like to ask for you all to check out my original story, "Skykaila". You can find it on taskey, wattpad and inkitt! Thank you!**

 **Also, happy birthday to our Ichi-berry! :D July 15th**

* * *

Ichigo screamed in pain as his body slowly began to take shape. He gasped and writhed against the sandy ground of Hueco Mundo. He reached forward, a white arm solidifying from the bright blue it was previously. Ichigo dug inch long black talons into the ground in an attempt to ease the pain. All he managed to do was wrap an iron grip around a few hundred grains of sand.

Ichigo's body whipped to the right in a deformed fashion. He arched backwards as a hole tore through his chest. The mostly blank mask from the Menos he was before wrapped around his head, like it was taking possession of the poor boy, and two long horns pushed forth from the bone-like substance. A growl emerged from Ichigo's throat, thick and echoic, while two red lines bled from his yellow eyes.

Something thick, but at the same time very light, wrapped comfortably around Ichigo's body. He noticed tuffs of red at the edges of this coat, as well as a long cape-like back to it. He wiggled his feet, honestly surprised that he still had any, only to find that they were bare with pointed claws at his toes.

He surveyed his appearance once the pain ceased. A long white coat covered his white arms. Both his feet and hands had long, talon-like nails. His head was completely covered by a mask, but when it was touched he could feel it as though it were his skin. Ichigo's hair had grown abnormally long and stuck out the back of the helmet-like mask. Ichigo's chest was exposed, as well as a thick, dark hole.

 ** _"I suppose it makes sense… to fight a monster you must become one-"_** Ichigo froze at the sound of his voice. How did he even _begin_ to explain how it sounded? It echoed across the silent desert, but it was more than just that… His voice was sharp, like it demanded attention.

 _'Come to me…'_

Ichigo blinked and snapped his head to the left. That was definitely an unfamiliar voice, and yet it felt so inviting and warm. He could see something in the distance, something that looked like a castle… Ichigo didn't quite know where else to go so he decided to head in that direction.

 ** _'Eat.'_** Another voice sounded. Ichigo froze mid-step.

 _'Come to me and I will free you of hunger…'_

 ** _'Eat or you'll die. Eat or you'll be weak forever!'_**

Ichigo groaned as the voices battled in his head. A spark of dizziness washed over him and he toppled over, whining like a hurt animal, **_"Who's there!? What do you want!?"_**

 ** _'Look out… they're coming…'_**

Ichigo spun around in time to come face-to-face with another monster. _Hollow_ seemed to be the term that came to mind. Its clawed hand pinned him to the ground and he spat out a curse as its teeth drew in close to his face.

 ** _"NO!"_** Ichigo shrieked. His body jolted at the memory of being torn apart. It hurt, so _bad,_ and he was not about to go through that pain again, nor was he about to squander his second chance at life! Ichigo dug his claws into the Hollow's neck. With a strength he didn't even know he had, Ichigo threw the Hollow a few meters away. He got to his feet and was about to run when one of the voices from earlier called out to him.

 ** _'Fight it Ichigo! Destroy it!'_**

Ichigo crouched to the ground, like a lion preparing to pounce. He growled and lunged at the Hollow. Despite its size, Ichigo was clearly stronger than it. He lifted the Hollow off the ground and threw it against a large boulder. Ichigo leapt for it again, snapping its neck.

 ** _'Eat…'_** The voice spoke up again.

Ichigo placed a hand on his stomach and felt it growl. The blood from the Hollow's wound released an intoxicating scent. Ichigo shuddered, knowing full well that this was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself. He rushed to the fallen Hollow and sunk thick, long fangs into its flesh. He moaned as the blood coated his throat, and the flesh sated his hunger. What remained of the Hollow, after Ichigo had finished eating, vanished into nothing. Ichigo stood tall, his muscles humming with power and his stomach full of food, and he began to pursue the first voice he'd heard.

After two long days, it soon became apparent that the voices Ichigo was hearing were coming from two very different places. One seemed to aide him, and it existed within Ichigo's consciousness. The other one seemed to guide him, but it wasn't coming from Ichigo. It was an external force, one that Ichigo didn't feel the need to have to obey. The one from within Ichigo's mind compelled him to obey it. It felt safe and trustworthy, while the outer one made Ichigo feel anxious.

In fact, the other voice was less of a sound and more of a feeling. Someone was trying to lure Ichigo in with their mere presence. Ichigo sighed and shook his head. He wasn't exactly sure how he was coming to these conclusions, but he just _knew_ it…

"Is that him?"

Ichigo jumped at the sound of a _real_ voice. His body whipped around in that direction, his eyes landing on a man with dark black hair and piercing green eyes. There was another man next to him, with silvery locks that covered his eyes.

"Yes, Ulquiorra. That's him." The silvery-haired man answered.

The newly dubbed 'Ulquiorra' stepped towards Ichigo. Ichigo's first instinct was to run, but before he could, Ulquiorra knocked him out with a single hit to the head.

* * *

Ichigo jumped awake, snarling at the man observing him. It was one of the men from before… 'Ulquiorra'. Ichigo couldn't seem to talk, but that didn't stop him from defending himself. He extended his claws and prepared his body for an attack.

"Enough of that," Ulquiorra spoke, clearly not startled nor scared of Ichigo's threatening position. "I am not interested in fighting you, nor should you be interested in fighting me. Can you not tell the difference in our strength?"

Ichigo suddenly felt like the world was crushing him. He struggled to stay up as the man approached him.

"I've been ordered to inform you that Aizen-sama has found you worthy of joining our ranks. You are a part of the Números, and have the number 115. That means you are joined by 114 brothers and sisters. You do not have to interact with anyone here. In fact, it's probably best that you avoid other Números altogether until your power increases."

Ichigo laid down on what he figured was a bed. It wasn't that comfortable, but it was better than sand or stone. He felt exhausted being in this man's presence.

"Oh, and one other thing…" Ulquiorra locked eyes with Ichigo. "Become aware of who the Espada are. Odds are if you feel someone else with power similar to mine, you should show them respect. If not, they might just crush you and throw you out like trash. There are 10 Espada. We are ranked by number according to our strength. You Números are simply given a number based on birth. I'm surprised you even have a number, since you aren't even an Arrancar."

Ichigo watched the man walked away, and felt more confused than he had before. He passed out swiftly afterwards, and didn't wake again until someone else stirred him.

"H-Hello monsieur…" A petite girl murmured with her head bowed. Ichigo cocked his head to the side and she gestured for him to follow her. "Aizen-sama has returned… h-he wishes to see you."

"Aizen-sama…?" Ichigo questioned. His voice had returned now that Ulquiorra's overwhelming strength wasn't crushing him.

"Yes. H-He's our leader… H-He's instructed me not to talk to you."

"Oh." Ichigo fell into silence, following behind the girl closely. Who was Aizen? Was he one of the Espada that Ulquiorra had mentioned? As Ichigo walked, he discovered that there were several other rooms around this place. Some of them were empty and others held three or four Hollows. He couldn't help but wonder why his room had been empty. There were so many questions…

"We're here." The girl announced, pushing open two large doors. Ichigo hesitantly stepped inside, observing the large room with caution. It was dark, much darker than the hallways. Figures sat upon rocks around the room. There was one figure, however, that seemed to stand out. This man sat on a large throne in the back-centre of the room. A grin could be seen on his face.

"Ah, hello." The figure greeted, standing up from his seat. Ichigo recognized that voice, and the man's presence. It belonged to the strange voice that had been calling him here.

* * *

 **Teaser for Skykaila: It's hard to deny the past when it's cold, red eyes are staring you right in the face. Kim froze in sheer terror. There before her was a creature unlike anything she'd ever seen - a majestic, dark blue lizard, with sparkling scales. There was only one word for a creature like this: dragon.**

 **I'm trying to get some popularity going for this story. I plan on entering it into a contest in November!**


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